The cross-examination of Stormy Daniels by Trump attorney Susan Necheles was one of the fiercest moments yet in former President Trump's hush money trial in Manhattan.

• Why it matters: The adult film actor faced combative questioning from Trump's team during her second day of testimony. Her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 remain central to the case, Axios' Erin Doherty reports.

💬 "You made all this up, right?" Necheles asked Daniels at one point. She responded with an emphatic: "No."

• Daniels also said she never spoke with Trump about the $130,000 payment she received from Michael Cohen, his ex-attorney, to keep quiet.

🎤 Asked by the defense if her account of sleeping with Trump was like "fictional stories" she memorized for work, Daniels replied:

• "If that story was untrue, I would've written it to be a lot better."

👀 The intrigue: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is the latest Trump loyalist spotted at the Manhattan courthouse, Axios' April Rubin reports.

• Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, Eric Trump and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have also appeared.

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Taylor Swift's European leg of her smash-hit "Eras Tour" kicked off today in France. Naturally, her American fans are eager to cross the pond.

• Why it matters: Swift's tour was credited with boosting local economies across the U.S. last year. Many European cities are anticipating the same boom, Axios' Ivana Saric reports.

🎟️ Swifties are taking advantage of cheaper ticket prices, thanks to tighter regulations on fees and resales in Europe.

• It'll cost an average of $2,600 per ticket for Swift's remaining U.S. tour stops later this year — in cities including Miami, New Orleans and Indianapolis, Billboard reports from TicketIQ data.
• Paris, Stockholm and Lisbon tickets are tracking under $350 each.

Zoom out: Popular shows have become luxury experiences for the uber-wealthy — and wallet-breaking for average consumers.

• A new Maryland law will create more transparency around ticket sales for live entertainment, and in some cases, help drive down costs.

Read on in Axios D.C.

1. 🚗 Kia and Hyundai models were by far 2023's most stolen cars, Axios' Jacob Knutson writes from a report out today.
2. ⚡ Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu declared today that Israel "will stand alone" if needed. He appeared to be firing back over President Biden's threat to suspend military aid if Israel invades Rafah, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.
3. Jack Quinn — White House counsel under former President Clinton and a prominent D.C. lawyer even since — died yesterday at 74 of long-term complications from a double-lung transplant in 2019, his wife, Susanna Quinn, told The Washington Post.
4. 🌶️ Another sriracha shortage could be coming to a supermarket near you: Huy Fong Foods halted production of its popular spicy red sauce for several months, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports.

A gleaming new exhibit tied to the recent 50th anniversary of hip-hop will highlight some of the most famous rap artists' iconic accessories.

• "Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry" opens today at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.
• 🎶 A custom mix by DJ Woof in the exhibition features tracks by Notorious B.I.G., Erykah Badu and Bad Bunny.

Some standouts include a 14-karat sneaker-shaped gold pendant released after Run-DMC's 1986 song "My Adidas."

• Plus, Nicki Minaj's diamond-studded Barbie Pendant and a vibrant Lego pendant designed for A$AP Rocky.
• Check it out through Jan. 5.

More details.